Governor's budget cuts deeper into water quality

The State's water quality and public health programs prevent and clean up water pollution as well as monitor and inform beach goers when the waters are unsafe for recreation. These essential programs are facing further cuts under this years budget shortfall. Yesterday, the Governor released her proposed all cuts budget and it included reductions of $200,000 in funding for the water quality program and capacity reductions in monitoring. In addition, the Environmental Health Program was severely cut by $500,000. These cuts, on top of deep cuts made earlier this year, compromise the state's ability to ensure that our beaches and waters are clean and that users are informed. This all cuts budget threatens many other core environmental protection programs too, including those that ensure clean drinking water and clean up toxic contamination. Surfrider Foundation strongly encourages the Governor to release a second budget and to restore funding to critical environmental programs.

Erosion along South Coast shores worsens with storms

Following the first of this months severe storms, the South Beach Bulletin, Westport's local paper, featured photos of the erosion damage. These included one of a enormous sinkhole that devastated the trailer park behind the Islander. Another showed Westhaven Drive under water and another featured the dramatic shoreline of Washaway Beach, where a house is very close to sliding off the bluff. Erosion is inevitable along Washington's weather worn shores. However, how governments, developers and coastal communities chose to respond and prepare for erosion is a significant question. And, will they act proactively in light of more severe storm conditions predicted with climate change? Surfrider Foundation is going to push Westport and other coastal communities in Grays Harbor County to tackle these questions at a workshop this February. For details and outcomes, check out Kathy Greer's blog: surfriderwashingtonoutercoast.blogspot.com

Storm hits WA coast

Even Cliff Mass, Washington's biggest weather buff, is impressed by the forecast for this weekend. Intense low pressure, high winds, and big waves are likely to dominate the outer coast. Check out Mass's blog for details: cliffmass.blogspot.com.

Algae bloom threatens seabirds on Washington coast

Dead and distressed seabirds are showing up on Washington beaches for the second time this fall along with a brownish-green foam. So far reports of birds are from Makah Bay (Sooes) and the Long Beach Peninsula. Mainly loons, common murre, grebes and scoters. The brownish bloom is presumed to be Akashiwo sanguinea. The algae acts as a surfactant on the birds' feathers, causing them to die of hypothermia. This species of algae is not considered hazardous for beach recreation, including surfing and paddling.

Volunteers are needed through Nov 15th to drive live rescued seabirds to a rescue center in Lynnwood, WA. If you are available to drive, please contact Jacqueline Laverdure 360-457-6622 ext. 21 or Jacqueline.Laverdure@noaa.gov. Include your phone number in your message. Thanks for your help.

Governor speaks against 1033

Yesterday, at the annual Washington Conservation Voters Breakfast of Champions, Governor Chris Gregoire gave an impassioned speech rallying support for the fight against Initiative 1033. It will "devastate the State of Washington" said Gregoire.

Tim Eyman's Ballot Initiative 1033 is on this November's ballot. And if it passes, it will indeed have devastating impacts on ocean and coastal protection programs. Funding for clean water, clean air, beach access and Puget Sound recovery will slowly dry up over time as this restrictive measures strangles the state budget.

As Governor Gregoire said, “...please... do everything you can. Vote yourself NO on 1033. But get everybody in Washington State to join in.”

www.no1033.com

Call-in and Webcast for this afternoon's Ocean Policy Task Force meeting

You can listen to or watch a webcast of this afternoon’s session by the interagency ocean policy task force in San Francisco. The meeting starts at 2:30 pm. See below for call-in and webcast details. More information and background at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/

Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Public Listening Session
September 17, 2009
2:30 – 6:00 PM

Ways for the public to participate and submit comments

Attend the meeting in person with chance to submit comments:

Hyatt Regency San Francisco at Embarcadero Center, Ballroom A
5 Embarcadero Center
San Francisco, CA 94111

Submit comments through the website:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/oceans

View the live webcast at: http://www.cal-span.org/

Listen to the meeting on the conference call (listen only):

(888) 769-8760 (up to 100 lines)
Participant Pass code: 67311

I-1033 threatens Washington’s future

As a result of the current budget crisis, many of Washington’s vital coastal resources programs have suffered severe cutbacks. For example, the State Department of Ecology made deep cuts to oil spill prevention and response programs and cut litter crews working to prevent garbage from entering Puget Sound in half.

Despite these hard budget times, there is reason to be hopeful for Washington’s future because the economy seems to be rebounding. That is, unless I-1033 passes. This is the TABOR initiative that will be on your ballot this November. The language might be confusing, but make no mistake, if I-1033 passes, this measure ensures that the State never recovers from the budget crisis of 2009 -- the worst in Washington history. State spending levels will be frozen.

Even in good economic times, when revenues should be strong and allow lawmakers to collect for a rainy day fund, our State’s revenues will instead stay at the current depressed levels. And to make matters worse, if we ever suffer another budget downturn, the State’s budget will fall again to even more depressed levels without being able to rebound. In Colorado, where the same measure passed in 1992, they call this the "ratchet effect".

As a result of TABOR, Colorado has become one of the Nation's poorest funded and poorest performing states. Despite having one of the highest per capita incomes, Colorado is 47th out of the 50 states for K-12 public education spending. Let's not let this happen to Washington. Deeper cuts to the programs we care about, including oil spills prevention, is not the future we want. To learn more visit: www.no1033.com.